Love this resteraunt. Great food, great service! Favorite restaurant in Tuscaloosa.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pam Lagos
Great restaurant overlooking the river.Shelby, who served our delicious wine and food was very hospitable.
We visited during a game weekend (Wisconsin vs Alabama) so it was a very busy time. The restaurant worked as a team. What I mean by this is that people from the kitchen and bar dropped off food or drinks. It was great to see the teamwork and camaraderie. 🫶
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Thomas
Yet another example of you get what you pay for.... And in this case, it's worth every dollar. Granted, it's a lot of dollars, but the chefs are amazing, presentation is exquisite, and the flavor layers are exceptional. Definitely a great place to celebrate a special occasion like we did and it's known already for being one of the best destinations around the university for fine dining. You won't be disappointed. Just expect to be impressed and going knowing that you're going to be investing in really great flavors and pallets as well as incredible servers and a beautiful atmosphere.... Well done all around.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lasurer Leverette
I had the shrimp and grits. Not very good and the grits were too stiff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Robert Lockmiller
My wife and I went out for dinner this evening to River and had a wonderful experience! Our server Isabel was absolutely incredible and our food and drinks were amazing as well! We cannot wait to go back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Botts
River Restaurant is the kind of place that just gets it right from the moment you walk in. The space itself is warm and inviting, with a big pizza oven at the front of the dining room looked amazing. This place also had the perfect layout for an open kitchen. Sitting out on the porch is highly recommended—you get a great view overlooking the river, which really adds to the experience. We sat out here during sunset and it was absolutely outstanding.
The food was excellent across the board. The fried okra came out perfectly crispy and seasoned, the shrimp and grits were rich and flavorful without being too heavy, and the mushroom tacos were a standout—something you don’t see everywhere and worth ordering. The menu feels thoughtful, with enough variety to make you want to come back and try more.
On top of that, the beer selection was outstanding, which is always a win. Service was excellent too—Shelby took great care of us and made sure everything flowed smoothly without being overbearing.
Between the setting, the food, and the atmosphere, River Restaurant is an easy place to recommend whether you’re coming for a casual lunch, a nice dinner, or just drinks and appetizers on the porch
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
charlie brown
This was the second time coming here…amazing food and our waiter did an outstanding job, attentive, patient and gave us space for our date. We ordered the seasonal fish and brown butter duck pasta for our entrees and took home the peanut butter pie. All was amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
JAMES FRIES
Very cool place. the food was good, but not great. And the prices were very high for the amount of food received. Not sure it's worth the value proposition.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Derek Brasher
I went last night for my first time ever. I will never go back. I paid $65 for a ribeye that when it got delivered to my table it was burnt all over the top and sides. I ordered the steak medium rare there is no reason for it to be burnt.when I said something to my waiter he said that was the way it was supposed to be so I asked for steak sauce to drown it in and that took him 20 min to go and get steak sauce. Also when asked to get drink refills it took 15 min.
Everyone recommended this place so we drove an hour and a half to try it and it was a complete let down
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
Cherie Hibbard
A must try! This is one of our favorite restaurants in Tuscaloosa. My husband is very critical of restaurant steaks, he has consistently said that this is one of the beat steaks he has ever eaten out. Their specials are always amazing. This past visit we had the mussels (because you cant go and not get them), oysters Rockefeller the , halibut special, the wagyu filet with garlic mash potatoes and local vegetables, The ribeye with garlic mashed potatoes and local vegetables. The oatmeal cookie is amazing and will bring you back yo your childhood! The service has always been exceptional and that remains true.
Limited and strange menu followed by poorly executed! The location should be the go to dinning experience but the bad food and limited choices affect this restaurant!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Alexis Jefferies
From the first bite to the last sip, everything hit the spot. The fried okra was crispy perfection, and the filet? Melt-in-your-mouth good. The cocktails were smooth, creative, and totally on point.
But the real star of the night? Jasmine. She brought the kind of warm, effortless service that makes you feel like a VIP. Attentive, upbeat, and genuinely kind—she made a great night even better.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Terrance Shetler
Excellent food.....high price but worth it....
Ke'Aira Gray
Had a rosemary lemonade martini (basically a lemon drop) no taste of rosemary but it did the job. Mini tacos appetizer not much of a taste (they are just $5) pork skins and queso appetizer weird combination but who doesn't like something crunchy and cheese it was good . Ordered the ribeye med well so of course when we received it, it was well done not pink at all. No seasoning or flavor really
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Alan Dean
The food was amazing! The service seemed a little distracted and the table next to us was quite obnoxious and very loud. We were there for an 90 minutes which was 1/3 longer than we should have. Overall, we would certainly go back for the food. Maybe everything else was having an off night (06/21 4:30pm walk in)
Love this resteraunt. Great food, great service! Favorite restaurant in Tuscaloosa.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great restaurant overlooking the river.Shelby, who served our delicious wine and food was very hospitable.
We visited during a game weekend (Wisconsin vs Alabama) so it was a very busy time. The restaurant worked as a team. What I mean by this is that people from the kitchen and bar dropped off food or drinks. It was great to see the teamwork and camaraderie. 🫶
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yet another example of you get what you pay for.... And in this case, it's worth every dollar. Granted, it's a lot of dollars, but the chefs are amazing, presentation is exquisite, and the flavor layers are exceptional. Definitely a great place to celebrate a special occasion like we did and it's known already for being one of the best destinations around the university for fine dining. You won't be disappointed. Just expect to be impressed and going knowing that you're going to be investing in really great flavors and pallets as well as incredible servers and a beautiful atmosphere.... Well done all around.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I had the shrimp and grits. Not very good and the grits were too stiff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
My wife and I went out for dinner this evening to River and had a wonderful experience! Our server Isabel was absolutely incredible and our food and drinks were amazing as well! We cannot wait to go back!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
River Restaurant is the kind of place that just gets it right from the moment you walk in. The space itself is warm and inviting, with a big pizza oven at the front of the dining room looked amazing. This place also had the perfect layout for an open kitchen. Sitting out on the porch is highly recommended—you get a great view overlooking the river, which really adds to the experience. We sat out here during sunset and it was absolutely outstanding.
The food was excellent across the board. The fried okra came out perfectly crispy and seasoned, the shrimp and grits were rich and flavorful without being too heavy, and the mushroom tacos were a standout—something you don’t see everywhere and worth ordering. The menu feels thoughtful, with enough variety to make you want to come back and try more.
On top of that, the beer selection was outstanding, which is always a win. Service was excellent too—Shelby took great care of us and made sure everything flowed smoothly without being overbearing.
Between the setting, the food, and the atmosphere, River Restaurant is an easy place to recommend whether you’re coming for a casual lunch, a nice dinner, or just drinks and appetizers on the porch
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was the second time coming here…amazing food and our waiter did an outstanding job, attentive, patient and gave us space for our date. We ordered the seasonal fish and brown butter duck pasta for our entrees and took home the peanut butter pie. All was amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very cool place. the food was good, but not great. And the prices were very high for the amount of food received. Not sure it's worth the value proposition.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
I went last night for my first time ever. I will never go back. I paid $65 for a ribeye that when it got delivered to my table it was burnt all over the top and sides. I ordered the steak medium rare there is no reason for it to be burnt.when I said something to my waiter he said that was the way it was supposed to be so I asked for steak sauce to drown it in and that took him 20 min to go and get steak sauce. Also when asked to get drink refills it took 15 min.
Everyone recommended this place so we drove an hour and a half to try it and it was a complete let down
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
A must try! This is one of our favorite restaurants in Tuscaloosa. My husband is very critical of restaurant steaks, he has consistently said that this is one of the beat steaks he has ever eaten out. Their specials are always amazing. This past visit we had the mussels (because you cant go and not get them), oysters Rockefeller the , halibut special, the wagyu filet with garlic mash potatoes and local vegetables, The ribeye with garlic mashed potatoes and local vegetables. The oatmeal cookie is amazing and will bring you back yo your childhood! The service has always been exceptional and that remains true.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Limited and strange menu followed by poorly executed! The location should be the go to dinning experience but the bad food and limited choices affect this restaurant!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
From the first bite to the last sip, everything hit the spot. The fried okra was crispy perfection, and the filet? Melt-in-your-mouth good. The cocktails were smooth, creative, and totally on point.
But the real star of the night? Jasmine. She brought the kind of warm, effortless service that makes you feel like a VIP. Attentive, upbeat, and genuinely kind—she made a great night even better.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent food.....high price but worth it....
Had a rosemary lemonade martini (basically a lemon drop) no taste of rosemary but it did the job. Mini tacos appetizer not much of a taste (they are just $5) pork skins and queso appetizer weird combination but who doesn't like something crunchy and cheese it was good . Ordered the ribeye med well so of course when we received it, it was well done not pink at all. No seasoning or flavor really
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
The food was amazing! The service seemed a little distracted and the table next to us was quite obnoxious and very loud. We were there for an 90 minutes which was 1/3 longer than we should have. Overall, we would certainly go back for the food. Maybe everything else was having an off night (06/21 4:30pm walk in)
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
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